E-cigarettes ban plan given support

HEALTH officials and a head teacher have lent their support to a proposed ban on selling ‘increasingly popular’ and ‘unregulated’ e-cigarettes to under-18s.

Smokers nationwide are turning to the ever-popular cigarette alternative, which is often billed as a healthier alternative to the real thing.

But the lack of regulation has led to concerns over their contents, and local officials have supported Government plans to ban their sale to youngsters.

Worthing Borough Council cabinet member for health and wellbeing Tom Wye said: “I have concerns as they are completely unregulated. When something like this becomes commercial you get all sorts of people bringing them out.

“I support the ban for under-18s, too. We want to get young people away from smoking altogether.

“If they are proved to be safe then they are better than the real cigarette, but the jury’s out.”

E-cigarettes emit a vapour, often without many of the other elements of a traditional cigarette.

They do, however, contain nicotine.

Despite being an increasingly common tool to quit, Adur and Worthing wellbeing hubs manager Janice Hoiles said they were not encouraged for such purposes.

She said: “E-cigarettes are increasingly becoming more popular as people think it will help them quit.

“There is an assumption that as it only contains nicotine, people are not exposed to tobacco and the health harms associated with tobacco.

“However, it is important to realise that nicotine contents in e-cigarettes are unregulated so you may be inhaling more nicotine that you think you are getting.”

For the full story, see the Worthing Herald, out Thursday, February 6.